BJP's First Rajasthan List Has 7 MPs Including Rajyavardhan Rathod, Diya Kumari, Baba Balaknath, Kirodi Lal Meena

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first candidate list in Rajasthan for the assembly elections scheduled for 23 November on Monday (9 October). The list has 41 names including seven Members of Parliament MP).

This is similar to the party's approach in the neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, where too, the BJP fielded seven MPs. Five of the Rajasthan MPs will contest from an assembly segment falling under their Lok Sabha constituency.

Jhunjhunu MP Narendra Kumar will contest from Mandawa, Jaipur Rural MP Rajyavardhan Rathod from Jhotwara, Alwar MP Baba Balaknath from Tijara, Ajmer MP Bhagirath Choudhary from Kishangarh and Jalore MP Devji Patel will contest from Sanchore.

Rajsamand MP Diya Kumari will contest from Vidhyadhar Nagar in Jaipur district as she hails from the Jaipur royal family and Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena will contest from Sawai Madhopur.

In 40 of these 41 seats, BJP doesn't have its MLA, , while Diya Kumari has replaced BJP MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi in Vidhyadhar Nagar. Rathod might have a face-off with Rajasthan cabinet minister Lalchand Kataria who is incumbent Jhotwara MLA

Bhagchand Dakra who recently joined BJP has been given a ticket from Bandikui in Dausa, from where he has contested elections twice earlier.